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Reviews:
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
Blocked by Geoff Ryman
A Busy Day at the Farm by Doreen Cronin
Calamity Jack by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale and Nathan Hale
The Cat in the Hat Comes Back by Dr. Seuss
The Cat Who Wasn't a Dog by Marian Babson
Coolies by Yin
D.A. by Connie Willis
Detective Small and the Amazing Banana Caper by Wong Herbert Yee
Doctor Who and the Talons of Weng Chiang by Terrance Dicks
The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright
The Far Shore by Elizabeth Hand
Ghost Ship by Dietlof Reiche
Goodnight Goon by Michael Rex
Henry the Sailor Cat by Mary Calhoun
Henry's Show and Tell by Nancy Carlson
Her by Laura Zigman
I Love You, Mama, Any Time of the Year by Nancy Whilte Carlstrom
I Spy a School Bus by Jean Marzollo
The Knight at Dawn (Magic Tree House #2) by Mary Pope Osborne
Little Bo by Julie Andrews Edwards
Lost and Found by Jane Sigaloff
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
Monsters vs Aliens: Team Monster by Gale Herman
My First Time Board Book by Elizabeth Hester
Nana Volume 3 by Ai Yazawa
Nation by Terry Pratchett
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Olivia Acts Out by Jodie Shepherd
Rules of the Net by Jennifer Guess McKerley
Shadowland (Mediator #1) by Meg Cabot
Shooting an Albatross by Steven R. Lundin
Sugar Time by Jane Adams
Time and Time Again by James Hilton
Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 13: Hobgoblin by Brian Michael Bendis
Viking Ships Before Sunrise (Magic Tree House #15) by Mary Pope Osborne
Wally the Walking Fish Meets Madinson and Cooper by Gary Lamit
The Woman Who Wouldn't by Gene Wilder
Why I Will Never Ever Ever Ever Have Enough Time to Read This Book by Remy Charlip
Zak: The One-of-a-Kind Dog by Jane Lidz
Zombie Queen of Newbury High by Amanda Ashby

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Calamity Jack: 02/20/10

I had the pleasure of reading Rapunzel's Revenge for the 2008 Cybils. Shortly after the Cybils ended, Nathan Hale, the illustrator, posted sketches of the sequel, Calamity Jack. Thus began my year long obsession of waiting for the sequel.

On page 50 of Rapunzel's Revenge Jack gives a quick explanation of why he's hiding out in the badlands of Gothel's Reach. It's a throw away line, two sentences long. Calamity Jack fills in the blanks of that story as Jack and Rapunzel travel to the city to set things right.

Before Jack and Rapunzel arrive in town to stop the ant people and bring down another tyrant Jack reveals his past. His story as expected is a retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk but in an urban setting. Jack also goes into his history and transformation from schemer and petty crook to the character we meet in the first book.

Most of Jack's transformation is told through Nathan Hale's excellent illustrations.  I especially like the panels on page 13 that begin to show Jack's insecurities.

From page 40 onwards the focus is on Jack's return to the City with Rapunzel. Quickly they are in the middle of trouble with the Ant People terrorizing the train they're on and later the City itself. The trolls are using the ants as an excuse to run the town with an iron fist. With the help of a plucky and technology obsessed newspaper man they decide to put an end to Blunderboar's monopoly over the City.

I loved Calamity Jack. I have to admit to having a literary crush on Jack. So having a graphic novel centered on him was two days of pure reading joy.

The comic ends on a romantic cliff hanger and I'm hoping it means that there might be a third adventure in the future.

I bought the book for review.

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